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Military Strength: Flag of Estonia Estonia vs Flag of Latvia Latvia

Military Strength
Estonia Latvia
Global Military Index 14.7 (#128) 12.8 (#138)
Military personnel 7,000 9,000
– Reserve troops 41,200 15,900
– Paramilitary forces 18,000 0
Military aircraft 5 7
– incl. combat aircraft 0 0
– incl. bombers 0 0
– incl. helicopters 0 3
Military ships 8 0
– incl. aircraft carriers 0 0
– incl. submarines 0 0
Main battle tanks 0 0
Nuclear warheads 0 0
Military Forces Chart

Overview

Estonia (ranked #128 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Latvia (#138) on the Global Military Index. Estonia fields 7,000 active troops vs 9,000 for Latvia, backed by 15,900 reserves. Estonia allocates $1B to defense compared to $2B for Latvia.

In the air, Estonia operates 5 aircraft vs 7 for Latvia.

Estonia operates a 8-ship naval fleet; Latvia has no navy.

Neither Estonia nor Latvia possesses nuclear weapons.

Global Military Index

Full ranking →
🇪🇪 Estonia World #128
15.0/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 56.1 33100 effective
Ground forces 20% 0.0 Tanks, armor & artillery
Naval power 20% 10.4 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 6.4 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 0.0 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 36.3 $1.5B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.12 Budget per soldier
🇱🇻 Latvia World #138
12.8/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 48.9 14160 effective
Ground forces 20% 0.0 Tanks, armor & artillery
Naval power 20% 0.0 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 9.5 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 0.0 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 37.1 $1.6B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.13 Budget per soldier

Country Profile

Economy & Geography
Estonia Latvia
Population 1.4 million 1.9 million
GDP $43.1 billion $43.7 billion
GDP per capita $31,428 $23,409
Military budget $1.5 billion $1.6 billion
– share of GDP 3.4% 3.7%
– share of govt spending 0.0% 0.0%
– per capita spending $1069 $866
Land area 42,388 km² 62,249 km²
Coastline 3,794 km 498 km
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Economic Metrics Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Estonia or Latvia?
Latvia has approximately 9,000 active military personnel compared to Estonia's 7,000.
Who has the larger navy, Estonia or Latvia?
Estonia has a larger navy with 8 vessels compared to Latvia's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Estonia or Latvia?
Latvia has a larger defense budget at $1.6 billion compared to Estonia's $1.5 billion annually.
Do Estonia and Latvia have nuclear weapons?
Neither Estonia nor Latvia currently possesses nuclear weapons.